Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, is reportedly controlling the pace of equipment imports at its factory built in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, according to a report from Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 30th. This adjustment appears to be in response to forecasts of lower-than-expected demand for advanced process technology.
According to the report, TSMC has decided that equipment necessary for the production of 12 to 16-nanometer (nm·10 billionth of a meter) semiconductors will not be required at the Kumamoto No. 1 factory until 2026. Currently, the factory is producing 22 to 28-nanometer semiconductors.
Nikkei noted, "The background is a combination of sluggish demand and concerns about the United States' tariff policy," adding that "Intel, which plans to expand manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, is also delaying orders." In response, TSMC stated that "Kumamoto No. 1 factory commenced mass production last December, and construction of No. 2 factory is scheduled to begin in 2025."
Meanwhile, Rapidus, which was launched under the leadership of the Japanese government with the goal of domestic production of advanced semiconductors, will start operating a prototype line for 2-nanometer chips at its Chitose factory in Hokkaido on April 1, as reported by Jiji Press.
Atsuyoshi Koike, the president, stated, "We expect to commence mass production by 2027." Rapidus, established in 2022 under the leadership of the Japanese government to produce cutting-edge 2-nanometer semiconductors, introduced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment in December of last year.